Family Borneo Wildlife Adventure

This small-group tour from Explore Worldwide begins in Kota Kinabalu, a city where Chinese, Indonesian, Filipino and Malay influences flavour the food scene. After a cultural introduction, the journey heads inland to the foothills of Mount Kinabalu, where a walk through montane botanical gardens reveals slipper orchids and pitcher plants.

Wildlife encounters take centre stage with two days near Sepilok, visiting orangutan and sun bear sanctuaries, plus the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, where the monkeys’ curious noses often feature in photos. The trip then turns to the Kinabatangan River for morning and evening cruises from a riverside lodge, with opportunities to spot hornbills, gibbons, and perhaps pygmy elephants. Alongside this, a canopy walkway in the rainforest offers a steadying view from high above the trail.

The adventure finishes with a short island stay beside white sand beaches, with snorkelling guided by a marine biologist. Days are full but not relentless, combining wildlife, local culture and time away from it all over just over a week.